In March of 1776, as the colonies were preparing to declare independence from England, Abigail

Adams wrote a letter to her husband, John Adams. She was at home in Brain Tree, Massachusetts,

which is just south from Boston along the bay. Her husband was off getting ready for revolution,

and she wrote to him,

I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And by the way, in the new code of laws, which I

suppose it will be necessary for you to make, she says, do not put such unlimited power into the

hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could.

If particular care and detention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion,

and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.

She meant what she said, but she I don't think expected her husband to take her seriously,

and in fact, he did not. None of the men who created the laws and framework for this new democracy

took women's rights seriously. That was totally absent from the Constitution.

But Abigail Adams' words were an omen for America. What Abigail Adams was saying is just as the

colonies rebelled against Britain, so shall we women rebelled. And women did. Those laws denying

them any voice or representation have been met with revolt. And that rebellion ignited more than 230

years ago is still on fire today. I'm Lillian Cunningham with the Washington Post, and this is constitutional.

We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union,

establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general

welfare, and secure the blessings of the diversity to ourselves, our prosperity,

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Women haven't fully been represented among we the people for most of American history.

It took until the year 1920 for the 19th Amendment to pass and for women to finally gain the right

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